A Tren de Aragua member dodged a murder conviction this week when a jury in Dallas couldn’t agree on his culpability in the killing of a fellow gang member.
Dallas County Judge Ernest White declared a mistrial Monday in the murder case against Carlos Zambrano Bolivar after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict during three days of deliberation.
Police in Farmers Branch, a Dallas suburb, accused Mr. Zambrano Bolivar of taking part in the 2024 kidnapping and slaying of fellow Venezuelan gang member Nilzuhly Petit. The victim’s daughter and nephew were abducted during the same incident.
Authorities said a crew of four Tren de Aragua members, including the defendant, kidnapped Petit because he didn’t give the gang a cut from an ATM theft ring he helped orchestrate.
After being kidnapped, Petit was shot and killed outside the city.
Prosecutors argued that Mr. Zambrano Bolivar was a key figure in the slaying, including speaking with a Tren de Aragua boss over the phone during the criminal act.
But defense attorneys said Mr. Zambrano Bolivar was a sex trafficking victim who was coerced into joining the scheme to protect himself and his family.
“The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict as to whether Carlos was acting by free choice or whether fear took that choice away. When there is that type of doubt, the law says the state has not met its burden,” defense attorney Sean Daredia said, according to Austin’s KXAS-TV.
“We thank the jury for their time and effort over the last three weeks, listening to this case, listening to this evidence, and we look forward to telling Carlos’ full story again,” he said.
This was the first case prosecuted against a Tren de Aragua member in Dallas County.
The defendant was offered a plea deal of 50 years in prison before the trial, but turned it down.
The case is expected to be tried again this year with a new jury.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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